Get an EIN for Your Washington LLC — Free at IRS.gov (2026)
Your EIN is your LLC's federal tax ID — required for banking, hiring, and Washington Department of Revenue registration. It's 100% free at IRS.gov and takes about 15 minutes. Here's the Washington sequence, including the no-SSN path.
Apply for your EIN free at IRS.gov — never pay a third party. With an SSN or ITIN, the online application takes about 15 minutes and issues your EIN immediately. Without one, file Form SS-4 by fax (≈4+ business days) or mail (≈4+ weeks). Apply after your Certificate is approved so IRS records match your exact legal name and formation date. Then register with the Washington Department of Revenue — required for essentially every LLC, since it's how you set up your B&O tax and Business License accounts.
- Cost
- $0 — always free
- Where
- IRS.gov only
- Online time
- ~15 minutes
- Online issuance
- Immediate
- No SSN? (SS-4 fax)
- ~4+ business days
- After EIN
- WA Dept. of Revenue — B&O + Business License
What an EIN Is (and Why Every Washington LLC Needs One)
An EIN (Employer Identification Number) is the nine-digit federal tax ID the IRS assigns your business. You need one even with zero employees:
- Open a business bank account — every bank wants the EIN letter, your confirmed Certificate, and your operating agreement.
- Register with the Washington Department of Revenue — needed for both your Business License and your B&O tax account.
- File federal taxes — including 15.3% self-employment tax, which applies regardless of Washington having no state income tax.
- Protect your SSN — put your EIN on W-9s instead of your personal number.
Never pay for an EIN. The IRS charges nothing. Sites charging $50–$300 for "EIN filing" resell a free government form, often styled to look official. The only site you need is IRS.gov.
Which Application Method Should You Use?
EIN Path Picker — Washington Edition
2 questions · your exact path, timeline, and Washington next step
The IRS online assistant runs Mon–Fri during posted hours and issues one EIN per responsible party per day. All methods are free.
The Online Application, Step by Step
Wait for approval first
Your EIN must match your final legal name and formation date. File through the Secretary of State first — online approval typically takes about 5 business days.
Go to the IRS EIN Assistant
IRS.gov → "Apply for an Employer ID Number." Choose "Limited Liability Company," then Washington.
Enter members and responsible party
Member count sets your default classification — disregarded entity for one member, partnership for two-plus — and the responsible party provides their SSN/ITIN.
Complete in one session
The application times out after 15 idle minutes with no save. Keep your confirmed Certificate in front of you.
Download the CP 575 immediately
Your confirmation letter displays once. Banks will ask for it; a replacement means calling the IRS for Letter 147C.
No SSN? You Can Still Get an EIN
Non-US founders complete Form SS-4, write "Foreign" on line 7b, and submit by fax (~4+ business days) or mail (~4+ weeks). Line-by-line help in our guides to EINs without an SSN and foreign-owned LLCs. Foreign-owned single-member LLCs: remember Form 5472 — a $25,000 penalty applies even at zero income.
After You Get Your EIN — the Washington Sequence
- Open your business bank account — CP 575, confirmed Certificate, operating agreement.
- Register with the Washington Department of Revenue — sets up both your Business License and B&O tax account in one process.
- Determine your B&O tax classification and exemption status for your Step 8 obligations.
Ahmad Adil's Take: the EIN is the one step where "cheap" and "right" are the same thing — free, from the source, in fifteen minutes. If any site or upsell asks you to pay for it, that tells you exactly how they make money. Washington's follow-up sequence is where your real attention belongs: registering with the Department of Revenue isn't optional bureaucracy here, it's how you get both your Business License and your B&O tax classification set up correctly from day one. Don't skip or delay this step.
- ✓Forms your Washington LLC for $39 + the $180 state fee
- ✓Files online with the Secretary of State
- ✓Free Washington registered agent the first year
- ✓No upsells · No data selling · Privacy by Default
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Washington LLC — FAQ
Ahmad Adil is the founder and CEO of LLC School. The figures here — the $180 Certificate of Formation, the $70 annual report due your anniversary month, and Washington’s B&O gross receipts tax — reflect current Washington Secretary of State and Department of Revenue guidance. This is educational content, not legal or tax advice.
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